Help With Jigs

[Mfannin]

Sort of new to bass fishing and I have been trying to fish with a jig for the last 3 or 4 times out on the water and I haven't even got a hit. I have been using a football jig black and blue with a blue craw trailer. I have been trying to catch bigger bass is the reason I am trying to learn to fish a jig.

Suggestions needed,

Thank you

[Catch and Grease]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/12403-jig-fishing-questions/page-18#entry1561229

There you go.

[WRB]

What rod/reel/line combo do you fish with?

Tom

[Mfannin]

I have been using a 7' medium action rod with a spinning reel and 10lbs test mono. Would that affect me getting bites ? I have not even been getting bites or maybe I could not feel them ???

[David D.]

It's not the best of setups for jig fishing, especially if you are using a jig with a weed guard.

While spinning setups certainly work for jig fishing; most on here will tell you that a heavier jig with a trailer (like what you're using) is baitcaster territory.

To pull the hook through the fish you will need a stronger line with less stretch. I prefer to use straight 50 lb braid for murky and stained water or 50 lb braid with a 12-14 lb fluoro leader for clear water. Again, that is with a baitcast reel.

Is your current setup keeping you from getting bites? Probably not, but if you do get one it wil make it more difficult to land the fish.

[Jar11591]

Try slowing your presentation down maybe. For me, after I hop or drag a jig I will then let it sit for 10 seconds or so. After I let it sit, I start to shake it in place, and this is where the majority of my strikes happen.

[Mfannin]

Anything else you guys would recommend for catching bigger bass ? I don't if I can fish a jig or not seems hard to me.

[Catch and Grease]

You could try big worms like 12inch ole monsters or berkly power worms.

[SirSnookalot]

I think you need different water.   Put a plastic worm on, no bites............move you're in the wrong place.

[Fishes in trees]

My advice would be to do a little more research and maybe fine tune your tackle before you give up on jigs.  There are lots of different styles of jigs and some are more suited to particular presentations than others.  Not that they won't work, but given a certain set of conditions, some jigs are more effective than others.

 

For starters:  What kind of cover are you fishing?  What color is the water.  How deep are you fishing.  What weight are you throwing/trying to throw?

 

The information is all out there.  Do more research to fine tune your presentation.  Also, be mindful of the In-fisherman formula for fishing, i.e.,  Fish + Location + Presentation = Success.  Don't focus on presentation so much that you ignore the other parts of the formula.

 

On most fishing trips, during the drive home, I try to analyze what I did & didn't do and how successful I was or wasn't in relation to the In-fisherman formula.  It gives me a place to start and a frame of reference.

[Raul]

I have been using a 7' medium action rod with a spinning reel and 10lbs test mono. Would that affect me getting bites ? I have not even been getting bites or maybe I could not feel them ???

 

Nope it won´t affet from your lure being bit nor stop you from feeling them, I´ve fished jigs with a UL rod and 6 lb nylon and still catch a lot fish.

 

The most common problem is not the lure but the location, how can you be shure you´re fishing your bait where the fish are ?

[WRB]

I have been using a 7' medium action rod with a spinning reel and 10lbs test mono. Would that affect me getting bites ? I have not even been getting bites or maybe I could not feel them ???

Your tackle isn't well suited for 1/2 oz jigs and I am surprised that you haven't lost the jigs to weeds or snags.

I would suggest using 30 lb braid with a 12 lb mono or FC leader about 5' long. This will improve your contact with the jig or worm. Next down size the jig to 3/8 oz, better size for your tackle.

As mentioned move to different areas. Are you bank fishing?

During the summer night is better than day for big bass, try fishing during low light periods.

I like to fish areas with deep water, if your lake is a reservoir, try moving up to the dam area or any major main lake point.

Bass tend to spit out a jig quicker than soft plastic worms, so set the hook on anything that feel different like a slight tap, lost feel of the jig or the jig feels heavier......swings are free!

Good luck.

Tom

[FrogTosser88]

Try a different color combination.... the crawdads change colors in diff time of year... the water I fish is a bit murky right now. The black craws have been working well. But I think the crawdads are dark green right now... Im sure there has got to be an article on craw colors here somewhere....

[SirSnookalot]

Nope it won´t affet from your lure being bit nor stop you from feeling them, I´ve fished jigs with a UL rod and 6 lb nylon and still catch a lot fish.

 

The most common problem is not the lure but the location, how can you be shure you´re fishing your bait where the fish are ?

Right !!

You can get as technical as you want with the equipment, bottom line either no fish in the area, or not biting.  

[ATX]

Try useing a jig in all situations. When you think a spinerbait bite is on use a 1/4 oz jig instead. When you see that nice lay down that a square bill crank looks promising, work a jig in the same type retrieve. Once you prove to yourself that a bass will eat it, you will have confidence that will translate to more bites in the deep water..

[Big Fish Rice]

If you're fishing a medium action spinning rod, you'll need to fish a 3/8oz jig at the heaviest. Your black and blue combo should work just fine, so don't waste too much money on different colors.

I would second using braid with a fluorocarbon leader with your setup. You'll feel the bites much better and with a medium rod, it's nice to have less stretch in your line. Just remember, if you're setting the hook on a long cast, you don't want to be trying to move a 1/2 or 3/4 oz jig with a medium setup. It's just too much...

Speaking of bites, you need to know how the fish strike. They will either "tap" the jig a couple of times (in which they are declawing your trailer), or the bigger fish will simply just inhale it. If you feel tension, always set the hook as quick as possible. If they tap it, wait 2-3 seconds then set the hook.

Lastly, you need to find wood and rocks. Target those two types of cover/structure and you'll come home a lot more confident.

Just a few tips from one of my videos: Hope it helps!

[Slade House]

what's been working very well for me is using a standup shaky head.  its deadly in all types of conditions at all times of years.  Ive tried all types of shaky head combos but what has been getting me consisent big fish is the following.  get a 1/2 oz or 3/8 green megastrike shaky head combine that with a missle bait baby d bomb in green pumpkin and boom , there ya go.  you get 4 for 5.99 , good deal. i also recommend yum pumpkin head standup shaky head in any weight above 1/4 oz.     with a watermelon red wave worm tiki craw.

 

as for your setup ,  you really just need to change out your line to some berkly green mist 8lb nano-fill, for a spinning reel , its the best.  tie an alberto knot onto a 10lb flurocarbon leader.  now here's a tip i learned for quiet entry when casting really far with a spinning rod.  so cast really really hard and far, and at the very last second before your lure hits the water, grab the line above your reel and pull back on it to soften the speed of the entry.  if done corectly you willl know.  

[james_oxley]

Biggest thing in a jig is having the confidence to throw it. I would start off throwing a mini jig , i like strike king's bitsy bug or bitsy flip, and only bringing that out with you. Due to its smaller profile, it will get you a lot more bites so you can learn what a jig bite feels like and you can learn all the habits of it. Once you get a lot of confidence in throwing that mini jig, move up to larger profile jig. This is what i did a couple years ago. I could never throw a jig for more than 15 minutes cause i had no confidence in them and i always reached for something else.Now I always have that jig rod close by and gets put to good use  Good luck!